About the day » Tuesday May 21, 1872Calender converter

• * Jannigje Baars, Rhenen, Utrecht, NL († 1884)
• Anna Maria van der Put, Princenhage, Breda, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands († 1938)
• Aart van Grootheest, Schoonhoven, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Anna Cecilia Kouwenhoven, Bleiswijk († 1950)
• Andrina Johanna van der Moer, Axel, Zeeland, Netherlands († 1942)
• Anna Groen, Den Haag, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 1942)
• Amelia Margaret Louise Kennedy, Dixie, Ontario, Canada († 1873)
• Anna Geertruida Boerma, Veendam 116 († 1942)
• Alida Catharina Cazander, Vogelenzang
• Albert Vogelsang, Steggerda

• Antoon Driessen (0), Dreumel, Gelderland, Netherlands
• Aaltje Nijenhuis (67), Sleen
• Aaltje Jans van Houten (1), Oldeboorn, Utingeradeel, Friesland, Nederland
• Aaltien Nijenhuis (67)
• Ann Smith (81), Godalming, Surrey, England
• Agatha van Etten (69), Haarlemmermeer
• Annigje den Haan (72), Langerak
• Adrianus Cornelis van der Aa (0), Nieuwkuijk, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• aimé albert laurent FARINEAU (46), Wasmes (Belgium) Hainaut
• Magteltje Ybes Haanstra (63), Sneek

• 1856 » José Batlle y Ordóñez, Uruguayan journalist and politician, President of Uruguay († 1929)
• 1860 » Willem Einthoven, Indonesian-Dutch physician, physiologist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate († 1927)
• 1861 » Abel Ayerza, Argentinian physician and academic († 1918)
• 1863 » Archduke Eugen of Austria († 1954)
• 1864 » Princess Stéphanie of Belgium († 1945)
• 1873 » Hans Berger, German neurologist and academic († 1941)
• 1878 » Glenn Curtiss, American cyclist and engineer († 1930)
• 1880 » Tudor Arghezi, Romanian journalist, author, and poet († 1967)
• 1884 » Manuel Pérez y Curis, Uruguayan poet and publisher († 1920)
• 1885 » Princess Sophie of Albania, (Princess Sophie of Schönburg-Waldenburg) († 1936)

• 1844 » Giuseppe Baini, Italian priest and composer (b. 1775)
• 1858 » José de la Riva Agüero, Peruvian soldier and politician, 1st President of Peru and 2nd President of North Peru (b. 1783)
• 1862 » John Drew, Irish-American actor and manager (b. 1827)
• 1879 » Arturo Prat, Chilean lawyer and commander (b. 1848)
• 1894 » Émile Henry, French anarchist (b. 1872)
• 1894 » August Kundt, German physicist and academic (b. 1839)
• 1895 » Franz von Suppé, Austrian composer and conductor (b. 1819)
• 1901 » Joseph Olivier, French rugby player (b. 1874)
• 1911 » Williamina Fleming, Scottish-American astronomer and academic (b. 1857)
• 1915 » Leonid Gobyato, Russian general and engineer (b. 1875)

• Koning Willem III (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1849 till 1890 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from January 4, 1871 to July 6, 1872 the cabinet Thorbecke III, with Mr. J.R. Thorbecke (liberaal) as prime minister.
• From July 6, 1872 till August 27, 1874 the Netherlands had a cabinet De Vries - Fransen van de Putte with the prime ministers Mr. G. de Vries Azn. (liberaal) and I.D. Fransen van de Putte (liberaal).
• The Netherlands had about 4.0 million citizens.
• January 12 » Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.
• February 20 » The Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City.
• February 22 » The Prohibition Party holds its first national convention in Columbus, Ohio, nominating James Black as its presidential nominee.
• March 1 » Yellowstone National Park is established as the world's first national park.
• July 18 » The Ballot Act 1872 in the United Kingdom introduced the requirement that parliamentary and local government elections be held by secret ballot.
• November 9 » The Great Boston Fire of 1872.

The temperature on May 21, 1872 was about 10.3 °C. The air pressure was 1 kgf/m² and came mainly from the north-northwest. The atmospheric humidity was 80%.